Touch input device with pathogen transmission mitigation

• US 9,772,714 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cohen, Guy, Kozloski, James R., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham Lu, Ngan T
• Application Number:
  US15/198,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20160303267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/16 Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods and systems for mitigating pathogen transmission via a touch surface of a touch input device. Mitigation is accomplished through selective touch surface sterilization and through touchscreen user interface reorganization. The touch surface includes a pixel array for illuminating selected portions of the touch surface with ultraviolet light of a sterilization wavelength based upon the received touch inputs. The selective illumination may occur while receiving a touch input or after an accumulation of touch inputs have been received. The user interface may also be reorganized based on received touch inputs in order to locate user interface icons to lesser touched locations of the touch surface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a touch input at a touch location on a touch surface of a first device;

selecting, with a controller, a portion of the touch surface based upon the touch location;

illuminating only the selected portion with an ultraviolet light of a sterilization wavelength, the illuminating being performed at a time after having received the touch input at the touch location on the touch surface;

receiving a peer sterilization signal indicative of a peer touch input received at a peer touch location on a peer touch surface of a peer device that is separate from the first device;

receiving, at the first device, an alignment signal indicating that the touch surface is aligned with the peer touch surface;

selecting, with the controller, a portion of the peer touch surface based upon the peer touch location and the alignment signal, and

illuminating only the selected portion of the peer touch surface with the ultraviolet light.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peer touch surface comprises a touchscreen display.

3. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving a touch input at a touch location on a touch surface of a first device;

selecting, with a controller, a portion of the touch surface based upon the touch location;

illuminating only the selected portion with an ultraviolet light of a sterilization wavelength, the illuminating being performed at a time after having received the touch input at the touch location on the touch surface;

receiving a peer sterilization signal indicative of a peer touch input received at a peer touch location on a peer touch surface of a peer device that is separate from the first device;

receiving, at the first device, an alignment signal indicating that the touch surface is aligned with the peer touch surface;

selecting, with the controller, a portion of the peer touch surface based upon the peer touch location and the alignment signal, and

illuminating only the selected portion of the peer touch surface with the ultraviolet light.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the peer touch surface comprises a touchscreen display.

5. A device comprising:

a touch surface for receiving touch inputs and corresponding touch locations;

an ultraviolet pixel array, each pixel of the array configured to illuminate a portion of the touch surface with an ultraviolet light of a sterilization wavelength; and

a controller for selecting an at least one pixel of the pixel array for illuminating a selected portion of the touch surface based upon the touch location, wherein the controller, responsive to executing computer instructions, performing the method comprising;

receiving a touch input at a touch location on the touch surface of the device;

selecting a portion of the touch surface based upon the touch location;

illuminating, with the ultraviolet pixel array, only the selected portion with an ultraviolet light of a sterilization wavelength, the illuminating being performed at a time after having received the touch input at the touch location on the touch surface;

receiving a peer sterilization signal indicative of a peer touch input received at a peer touch location on a peer touch surface of a peer device that is separate from the device;

receiving, at the device, an alignment signal indicating that the touch surface is aligned with the peer touch surface;

selecting, with the controller, a portion of the peer touch surface based upon the peer touch location and the alignment signal, and

illuminating only the selected portion of the peer touch surface with the ultraviolet light.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the peer touch surface comprises a touchscreen display.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the device comprises at least one of:

a cell phone;

a tablet;

a personal computer with a touchscreen or touchpad;

a kiosk;

a point of sale system;

or

a gaming system.